


Crossed Talons

by majicienne



Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, draal will not die in this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-25 07:43:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14374131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/majicienne/pseuds/majicienne
Summary: Draal has always had a thing against authority. Nomura has a new mission.





	1. Chapter 1

\- Father, please. - the young troll asked.  
-We've discussed this, my son. You are not yet ready to accompany me on my duties. - Came the tired reply.  
\- If not now, when? I've never been stronger! - Draal protested.  
\- I said no! - Kanjigar replied, cutting. 

Draal huffed through his nose and turned his back on his father. Making a hasty exit. 

\- You could still fight, you know. - A voice said, behind him. Draal didn't turn around.  
\- Only to have my father stop the battle? Publicly humiliating me? - He snorted. - No. -  
\- That'd happen here, in Trollmarket, but in the surface... - The voice trailed off.  
That made Draal face the owner of the voice. It was a hooded figure, roughly his size. - What do you mean, stranger? -  
\- Take the Gyro to the 7th station after the sun sets. - The voice drawled as the figure retreated into the shadows. - You will find what you need. - 

Draal contemplated the bizarre conversation. He could, and probably should, ignore the other troll. However, he was tired of his father's shadow and his opressive fear. He decided to scout the location. After all, there'd be no harm in just watching. 

\- Get me Stricklander. - Otto commanded as soon as he returned to the Changeling's base.  
After a few minutes of waiting he heard the unmistakeable British accent. - Otto, to what do I owe the pleasure? -  
\- I'm sending the Trollhunter's son to the Underground Battle. Tonight. -  
\- Seems a bit rushed, doesn't it? - Countered Stricklander, uncertain.  
\- I saw an opportunity and I took it. - Was the harsh reply. - I need your help. -  
\- How could I possibly fight him without blowing my cover? -  
\- Not you, then. One of the younger ones. You said that you were training a girl? That she could hold her own and...-  
\- And her troll form is more similar to a regular troll's than mine. - Stricklander interrupted. - Yes, I remember. -  
\- Good, make the arrengements. -  
\- I will. - 

Stricklander smiled to himself.  
\- Nomura, the Order has a task for you. - He turned to his apprentice.  
\- I thought we didn't do tasks. - The warrior replied.  
\- We - said Strcklander pointing at himself and her - only serve ourselves. However the Janus Order doesn't need to know that. -  
\- So we pretend to be as interested as they are? What's the goal, here? -  
\- Think of it this way, Gunmar is still our best opportunity to walk both worlds freely. If we work with the Order we can ascend within their ranks, while at the same time working for our true masters. - He made a pause and looked pointedly at her.  
\- Ourselves. - She finished for him.  
\- Excellent. Your mission is not simple. But I'm sure you're ready by now. -  
\- What is it? -  
Stricklander smiled and his teeth had the brief appearance of fangs.  
\- Break the Trollhunter's son. - 

When Draal arrived at his destination he didn't know what he was expecting to find. What he knew was that it wasn't a full fledged fight. He had wondered into what could only be a battle to the death between a Kubara troll and a large worm like beast. After a few minutes the large troll prevailed.  
\- Who wishes to challenge the champion? - Clamoured the small troll that apparently organized the combats.  
It was evident to Draal that the champion must be talented, for no one stepped forward. 

Until someone did. She was a young troll, younger than himself, even. And she looked determined. Determination, however, didn't mean talent. So Draal watched (a little morbidly) as she approached the Kubara. 

\- What's your name, challenger? - Asked the champion.  
\- Nomura. - Came the confident reply.  
\- Have you earned your combat name? -  
The young troll smiled and her fangs glistened in the moonlight.  
\- I thought I might just do that. -  
The crowd started getting restless. When a warrior was still nameless it meant that they hadn't one a public fight yet. Draal shook his head. 

\- Very well, I give you Nomura the Nameless, against Kelack the Killer. - The announcement resonated through the makeshift Arena. 

Nomura pulled her khopesh and shifted into a defensive stance. That seemed to amuse the Kubara that threw his sword away, dismissing her as a lesser opponent.  
" Your mistake". She thought. 

Kelack threw his head back and gave a roar and launched himself. His forehead collided headfirst with Nomura's chest, throwing her into the air. But instead of falling down, she used the momentum to fall towards him. Kelack threw both of his arms to cover his body and ducked but it was too late.  
Nomura laughed as she spinned and with one downward motion struck her opponent between his shoulder-blades, leaving her weapons inside him. Kelack grabbed at her, blinded by pain, but she kept dodging him, over and over again. It soon became apparent that she was prolonging the Kubara's agony. 

\- Finish the fight! - someone encouraged her within the crowd and soon the chanting spread.  
\- Finish the fight! Finish the fight! -  
Draal didn't join in the havoc but he watched, fascinated, as Nomura jumped to a tree branch, over her enemy's head and dislodged her weapons from his back.  
\- Any last words? - She mocked and her voice was as sharp as her talons. 

She had stepped to close. Kelack might know he was about to die but that didn't mean he would go down laughed at. He lounged and struck Nomura square in the jaw. She fell backwards, face-first. There was an audible gasp from the crowd.  
Kelack threw his massive body over Nomura's just as she was turning around. 

For a moment no one breathed. 

Then Kelack began moving. Nomura threw him off her and yelled. He had fallen into the kopesh. Like she had meant for him. 

The crowd was deafening. 

\- This night's champion! Nomura the Noxious! - 

She grinned at the crowd and Draal wondered how she felt.


	2. Chapter Two

Nomura felt sick. Not because she had just killed another troll. But because of the sheer hypocrisy of the cheering crowd; had they known she was a changeling, they’d be calling her a murderer instead of a champion.  
She was nothing if not single-minded though, so she simply bared her fangs and bowed to the adoring crowd. 

\- Nomura the Noxious? – scoffed Stricklander when se reported back to him.

\- I clearly did not name myself, I’ve always thought the alliteration system is stupid. - She stopped polishing her blade and threw him a wicked grin. – Also, if memory serves, you’ve had a couple of interesting names yourself, “s” is such a rich letter…- 

-Touché. – Replied her teacher, visibly uncomfortable. – Now, the Trollhunter’s son. Could you approach him? –

Nomura looked back at him and considered lying. Then opted for the truth. – It seemed counterproductive. – 

\- Do enlighten me. – Answered a sceptic voice.

\- Well, - she continued tending to her weapons – I was surrounded by like a hundred trolls, it would’ve looked odd if I had singled him out. I didn’t want to scare him off. – 

\- So, you’re planning on letting him make the first contact. – Completed Stricklander. – How cunning. I doubt you have the patience for that plan, however. – He looked so smug, Nomura accidentaly scratched the blade too hard against the stone, producing a disgusting sound. 

\- See what I mean? – Asked the older changeling. – Subtlety is not your forté. -

\- What if I prove you wrong? – She countered with her own question. Stricklander’s eyes shone for a moment. 

\- I’m listening. – 

\- I break him, using the “changeling” method instead of my more… direct approach. If I do it, which I will, you owe me something. – 

Stricklander considered her for a bit. – And if you fail? – 

Nomura took a deep breath. – I’ll let you keep using me after my training is over. – 

That did it. Changelings had no honour or allegiances, they both knew it. Stricklander bared his fangs in as open a gesture as Nomura had seen in ages, and extended a hand out. Nomura shook it. Confidence exuding from her form. 

Draal had gone back to Trollmarket as quietly as he could, he snuck past the guards of his father’s cave and let a relieved sigh when he saw Kanjigar was gone. 

Without the pressure of getting noticed off his shoulders, he allowed himself to process what he had seen that night.  
The two battles crossed his mind, but the part of the evening that held most of his focus was the young troll’s victory.  
He knew ambition was reprehensible, he knew the danger the sheer want that filled his gut would ring. He couldn’t stop either.  
Ever since his father had taken Merlin’s amulet, Draal had been trying desperately to prove himself. Not only to his father, but to the others, he had fear.  
Fear of living forever under Kanjigar’s shadow, know only as “the trollhunter’s son”.  
He was scared of never living up to his legacy. 

This fear was the main reason why the Underground felt so promising. He could train, fight, and prove his worth without putting his father’s name at risk. No one should know it was him. 

The more he thought about it the more obvious it seemed. 

He thought again about that night’s champion, Nomura. She had seemed young, younger than him even. Yet, her fighting had been calculated and controlled. She had claimed to have never fought but she was surely trained.  
He wondered about her teacher and method and such thoughts set him in the path of a dreamless sleep. 

The next day he felt ready for battle. There was an energy about him that Kanjigar noticed immediately when his son stepped into their shared living space.  
\- You were not here last night when I left on patrol. – He reprimanded his son. 

-I was not. – Confirmed Draal. 

Kanjigar waited for further explanaition, when none came he prompted again. – What kept you out so late? – 

\- Training. – Came the very quick reply. 

This pleased Kanjigar, who thought his son had been doing much brawling but not enough training lately. 

\- I’m happy for you, my son. – He paused. – Anything interesting happened at the Arena? – 

\- More of the same, father. – Replied Draal that hadn’t stopped fidgeting since the conversation started. – I am actually on my way there now. – 

Kanjigar raised his eyes at his son’s figure. He did look like he was leaving for battle. “Then why doesn’t he look at me?” He wondered sadly. 

\- Son, are you still angry at me? – He asked upfront. 

Draal thought his answer before responding. – No, father. I felt anger last night, when you denied me. But then… I’ve transformed that anger into resolve. I’ll prove myself to you. – 

Kanjigar smiled fondly at his son. – Then go on. – He urged him, pointing towards the exit. – You have places to go. – 

Draal felt a twinge of guilt pulling at him while he left. Then he remembered the humiliation of the previous night and the feelings inside him quieted. 

Nomura was getting restless. The night was about to start and there was no sign of Kanjigar’s son. She loathed to waste a good show.  
She saw him approach from one of the gyro stations and had to supress as smirk. He actually thought he could blend in. Poor fool. 

\- Who shall contend the first beast? – asked the announcer. 

Draal stepped forward so fast no one else even tried. 

\- What is your name, fighter? – 

Nomura perked up, if he didn’t think to change his name… 

\- Darvok, the Deadly. – Came the raspy reply. 

Nomura let her shoulders drop and went back to pretend she wasn’t paying attention. “How mundane” she thought “he didn’t even change his battle name”. 

\- I give you this night’s challenger Darvoc! – the crowd cheered. – Unleash the Nyarlagroth! 

Nomura shot up. If she were the kind, she would have prayed. She had never seen Draal fight before but she hoped he was as good as his reputation because, how was she going to explain his death to the Order?  
Draal squared his jaw. He had seen a Nyarlagroth once, while with his father but he had never come close to one. Worse, he had never actually fought one before. 

The crowd stood perfectly still, knowing full well that any sudden movement would make the Nyarlagroth switch targets. While thanking the pit the champions fought in to be far far away from the stands. 

Nomura sat at a closer distance, in the place of honour reserved for the defending champion, the nearness afforded her a clear view of Draal’s face. He had no fear, only resolution. She knew the rules of troll fighting, so, why was he not afraid? 

The Nyarlagroth emerged from the pit, tongue out, searching for prey. For a moment, it seemed like the night itself was holding its breath. Then the creature pounced. 

Draal tucked his legs and rolled away but the monster kept chasing him, moving with unnatural speed and trying to suffocate him. He had little to no space and he could feel himself getting tired as the time passed. No matter where or how he hit, the creature kept coming back, never giving up or showing signs of injury. 

He yelled savagely when its tongue perforated him, but he kept going at it. 

Nomura wondered if she should intervene. “He doesn’t give up, I’ll give him that.” The fight was nowhere near its end, with neither party surrendering, but they also weren’t changing tactics; they were at an odd standstill. 

Then, when she had decided that a distraction was in order, she saw something flash across Draal’s face. Before she could identify it, however, he surprised her and the rest of the audience by giving a mighty roar, tucking his legs and barrelling… straight into the Nyarlagroth’s mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not saying that Strickler was named Stricklander the Seducer. But he totally was.


	3. Chapter Three

For a brief moment the world stood still. Then motion exploded. In the Nyarlagroth’s  
sense, quite literally. Draal came rolling out of his stomach with violence. The crowd roared. 

Nomura let out a sigh of relief. That senseless brute! “Kanjigar did a poor job raising that one. Where’s his fear?”  
If she didn’t know better, she might have accused him of being a changeling.  
She rose from the Champions throne and applauded, it felt right in the moment. 

Draal couldn’t believe his own recklessness but it felt exhilarating. Victory tasted so sweet. He rose both arms to the cheering crowd. And then bowed. The screaming was relentless. The crowd seemed to have a single voice and they were chanting his name: “DARVOC! DARVOC!”  
Well, his fake name. He felt some regret at not being able to use his real one. He noticed something sharp on his peripheral vision.  
He turned to see who had unsheathed a weapon and found only Nomura’s smile. He swore he could have cut himself with it. Her eyes were gleaming with an emotion he could not identify.

He had turned to her. While she was still up, and clapping. This was bad. She turned her smile from genuine to menacing in an instance. He looked unbothered. Damn him.  
Why was he staring? What was he expecting? She decided on a nod as an appropriate from of greeting. 

The announcer’s booming voice took them out of their mutual mystification.  
\- And now, tonight’s fight. – He paused to let the crowd react. – Nomura the Noxious against… - He was interrupted by Draal. 

\- Against me! – Draal’s voice surprised even himself. He had been great, no doubt about it. But usually, troll’s that fought beasts didn’t fight another troll on the same night. It was too exhausting. It was…

“Foolish”, thought Nomura. “Ludicrous. Unnecessary bragging.” Something had to be done. She refused to let him win (both because she was proud and because she was too young to die) but she couldn’t kill him, either. “Must he make everything so difficult?” 

The audience seemed to disagree with her. Arena’s were truly savage places. 

\- Tonight’s fight: Darvoc, the Deadly against the defending champion! - 

Nomura leaped from the faux throne into the circle, spiralling for good measure, landing in front of Draal. A lesser troll would have taken several steps back. He did not. His reaction, or lack of, left them standing too close for either’s comfort. 

\- What’s a boy like you doing in a place like this? – Taunted Nomura. Draal gritted his teeth.

\- How dare you? You are even younger than I am! – That last part was a guess but a safe one.

\- Hey! What’s going on in there? – Someone yelled from the restless crowd. 

\- That’s our cue. – Said Nomura, jumping back. 

“It doesn’t matter if she gets the last word.” Draal thought “As long as I get the last hit.” 

Nomura attacked first. One single phrase going through her head: “don’t let him die”.  
She jumped at him, deciding speed would have to make up from his superior strength. 

Draal had barely any time to duck as one of Nomura’s khopesh came slacing to where his arm was. He lunged at her but the other khopesh was expecting him, shielding Noura’s flank. Grunting accompanied their every motion.

Draal lounged again, fist speeding in a downward motion, as if he meant to squash her. Nomura jumped out of the way an onto the wall of the Arena, she preferred natural terrains for this very reason but bare rock would have to do. 

Draal jumped beside her and she spiralled back down. “Why won’t she fight me?” He wondered. 

As if hearing his unspoken question Nomura yelled at him – You are not worthy of my blade! – 

Draal saw red. The respect and fear he had been trained to defer to every opponent slipping away from his mind, leaving only blind fury. 

“Good,” thought Nomura “come on! Strike. Make a mistake.”

And strike he did. He tucked and rolled like he had done before. But Nomura was no beast and her blades were stronger than fleshy stomach. The force of his attack, however kept pushing her backwards, until her back came in contact with the stone once more.

She jumped out of the way again, but Draal anticipated her movements and jumped ahead. Falling in such a way that he blocked her once more. Nomura barely had time to take the khopesh down in a striking motion that Draal stopped with one arm.  
He used that very same arm to throw her off him. 

Nomura had expected anger, cockiness and boasting in response to her mocking. What she was not expecting was Draal’s actual reaction.  
“Wounded.” The blows kept coming non-stop, he was desperate. “A wounded animal”. 

She needed to re-focus him for her plan to work. Draal struck again. This time, instead of dodging him she let him hit her with his head, square in the chest. Pain exploded inside her but she didn’t let it stop her. She hooked her weapons on his horns and pushed him downwards. 

He was trapped. Stuck. “If I am to be like this I will not be the only one”. He pushed forwards until Nomura was back against the unrelenting wall. They were tied. Neither could release themselves without letting the other free. 

\- I don’t want to kill you. – She said through her teeth. Every word hurt. Lies often did. 

Draal hesitated, fractionally. It was enough for Nomura. She disengaged one of her khopesh and tore one of the quartz on Draal’s left side, clean off. 

Searing, hot pain radiated from the wound Draal threw his head back to yell in agony. The perfect position for Nomura’s handle to struck under his chin. Then everything went black. 

The crowd gathered at the arena couldn’t even yell at Nomura to finish the fight before Draal’s body fell limply against the ground. 

Nomura crouched beside him. Pressing him down into the ground and perked an ear to listen for breath. 

\- He’s dead! – Her roar rang victorious. The crowd went wild. She remained undefeated. 

Nomura rose from her position and stepped over Draal’s body to bow to the crowd. Then she gave her back to them and kneeled at his side once more. 

It wasn’t unheard of for a champion to pay respects in such a manner. So they let her. 

Nomura didn’t move. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned, abruptly, teeth bared. 

\- Just me. – Said the organiser. – Daylight is fast approaching, young champion. You should go. – 

Nomura nodded. She watched the short troll saunter away and take what was probably the last gyro to Trollmarket. 

She knew that she was expected to leave the corpse there. Let the sunlight hit it and then let the stone be cleared the following night. 

Maybe Stricklander had a cadaver she could borrow. She needed to make it seemed like she had killed Draal, after all. 

She should also probably move the unconscious troll out of the sun’s way, too. She had gone to a lot of trouble to keep him alive. 

When he regained his senses Draal experienced several disorienting sensations at once. He felt something strapped against chest. A bitter aftertaste in his mouth. A heaviness in his limbs and a delicious smell in his nose. 

\- Where? – Was the only question he could formulate. 

\- Here. – Came a harsh reply. 

He turned painfully on his side to see Nomura, the Noxious. 

\- You probably have a lot of questions, Darvoc. – the pink troll said. – But you really should thank me before asking any of them. – Here she paused to smirk. – You owe your continued existence to me, after all. 

\- Last night… - 

Nomura sighed. –This is going to be a very boring one-sided conversation. Let’s skip the questions. –

She sat down next to him. Just out of reach. 

\- I decided no to kill you last night. I think you have promise as a warrior. However, finishing the fight is mandatory. I knocked you out and pretended you were dead.  
I did injure pretty badly; it will leave a scar. – She paused to see if Draal was following her. She seemed content with his silence. – The reason you feel weak and odd right now is because I sedated you to tend to your wounds. The effects will lessen as the day passes by. You’ll feel fine come night-time. – 

Draal felt a pang of panic raising through his body. The day? The night? His father was going to search for him, then he was going to catch him and kill him. 

Nomura noticed his reaction and smirked. – Got someone waiting for you? – She asked. – How insensitive of you, don’t you know that trolls die and get destroyed in the Arena? Have you no heart? – 

Guilt was mixing with the fear inside Draal’s stomach and the sensation was making him nauseous.  
Nomura extended a hand and placed the palm firmly against his injured side. – Relax, tough boy. No one will find you here. And when you return to Trollmarket tonight, no one will make the connection between you and last night’s looser. 

Draal let his body release some tension. – I’m not a boy. Or a looser. – 

Nomura snorted but took pity on him and didn’t argue the point. 

\- Tell me, Darvoc. – Said Nomura. – Tell me, what were you playing at, last night? Why were you there? – 

Draal was getting sick of the Darvoc thing, and of her continued dismissal of him. 

\- I wasn’t playing. – He let out, painfully. – I was training. – 

\- Training. – Nomura still sounded like she was disappointed on him. – Training for what, exactly? Death? – 

\- I can’t train at home. – Draal said. – Why do you go? – He asked. 

“Can’t train at home. He cares for his father.” Nomura was compiling a mental list of possible weaknesses and Draal’s question took her by surprise. 

\- I have nothing better to do, I suppose. Winning is fun. – 

Draal blinked at her. – You do battle for fun? – 

\- And money. – Replied Nomura. 

\- How about your family? – Insisted Draal. - Don’t they worry? - 

\- You ask a lot of questions. – Replied Nomura, irritated. – I have no family. I’m Nomura, the Nobody daughter of No-one. Do you understand? – 

Draal felt an odd combination of pity and jealousy. He couldn’t imagine having no kin, but being son of No-one, that sounded tempting. 

\- You have a blood debt to me. – Nomura changed the subject abruptly. 

\- So I do. – Draal agreed, tiredly. – How can I repay you? – 

\- Blood is only paid by blood, Dravoc. – Said Nomura. – You’ll just have to wait until I need my life saved. Or blood spilled. – 

Draal didn’t like the sound of that. But he knew it was true. Honour demanded it. 

\- Very well. – 

\- In the meantime, I have an offer for you. – She said. 

\- And what is that? – His wound was starting to ache again. He was tired. 

\- Obviously you can’t go back to the Underground. – Nomura said. Moving away from him and out of his field of vision. 

\- But you are a promising fighter. – She spoke the next sentences truthfully. - You have rough strength and a strategic mind. – 

Draal felt flustered at the praise. He was used to getting it, but flattery meant nothing when you were his father’s son. Nomura’s sounded genuine. 

\- You say you can’t train at home. – She continued. – Let me help you. – 

\- You are younger than I am! – He protested, weakly. 

\- And still, better. I can kill you. We both know it. Besides my master is… was, sorry, very unorthodox. He doesn’t let the rules and prejudices of Trollkind rule him. You can learn from me. – 

It sounded tempting. More than that, it felt like his only choice. 

\- You’ve got a deal, then. – 

\- Good. – Nomura returned and sat next to him once more. Much closer. He could see her eyes, green and snake-like, piercing. She took his head and pushed it upwards, he went with the motion too weak to protest. 

With her other hand she pushed a goblet towards his lips and he drank. He felt the pain mitigate and slumber take over his body. 

Nomura dropped his head back, gently. 

\- Sweet dreams. – She said. “Can she speak without mocking?” He wondered briefly before sleep claimed him. 

He dreamt of pointy angles, sharp eyes and the whistling of a melody he had not heard before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm looking for a beta, in case any of you feel like it.


	4. Training

When Draal woke up that night he felt almost fully recovered. It took him a few seconds, however, to realise that he was alone. There was no sign of Nomura, then he remembered that he did not know where he was or how long he had slept.   
"I must go back to my father".   
He moved slowly, minding his injured side. Cursing and thanking her because he could move now, true, he could not figure out where he was by himself and she had offered to train with him, but had left without setting anyhting on stone, and...   
Before he could continue his inner monologue he saw a path on the ground. It had been clearly recently cleared and he decided to follow it on the off chance that it'd lead to a gyro station.

Nomura watched him move from the shadows. She wanted to see how he behaved when he was alone, or at least, thought himself alone. It became clear to her that stealth was not his forte. He made so much noise that she could have jumped from tree to tree instead of walking, and he would not notice. The second thing she noticed was that, while he did not talk aloud, he was visibly having a conversation with himself, to which he grunted in assent or dissent. That could be used for her advantage. 

Draal felt better with every sstep he took. He would have to ask Nomura about that potion she made. It was amazing how restored he was. After just one night of rest.   
His thoughts suddenly became preocuppied with other traits of the young troll. He had many questions about her. What had happened to her parents? Who was that master she had spoken of? How old was she, exactly? Where had she forged her weapons? Most of all, he wanted to know why she had spared him.   
She could have horrible dishonor if she was discovered. Then, why? Why risk it?   
The pink troll had said she found him promising as a warrior. Was that enough? 

Soon he found himself infront of the Underground arena. He ducked to the nearest bushes and when no one was looking dived into the nearest gyro for Trollmarket. 

Nomura was slightly disappointed that no one had caught Draal. Only slightly, she would have loved to see his reaction to that. Would he trow her under the bus, as the humans said? Would he have claimed to have deceived her? Would he punch his way out? 

She would have to figure it out later. Morgana, how she hated the waiting game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been gone forever I am sorry!!


End file.
